Washing-machine



R. R. DAVIS.

WASHING MACHINE.

, (No Model.)

No. 368,383. Patented Aug. 16, 1887.

N. PETERS.-Hwwlnnagmphqn Wammgmn UNITED STATES PATENT FEICE.

REED R'DAVIS, OF DOUGLASS, KANSAS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 368,383, dated August16, 1881,

[No model.)

.To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, REED R. DAVIS, of Douglass, in the county of Butlerand State ot' Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Vashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact 'description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to automatic steam washing-machines, the objectbeing to provide a machine of this character of simple and durableconstruction.

My invention consists in the combination, with a boiler and an outercasing or wall and supporting-frame, of a cover iitting in the spacebetween the boiler and the outer casing or wall, and a valve which isautomatically operated by the pressureof the steam.

My invention further consists in the details of construction hereindescribed, and fully pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved washer,with parts broken away to show more clearly the interior construction.Fig. 2 is a plan view of the boiler, outer casing or wall, andsupportingframe. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the cover andvalve-standard combined. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the valvestandard with the valve attached thereto. Fig. 5 is a sectional view ofa portion ot' the valve-standard, showing the spring-latch.

A is a boiler provided with an outer casing or wall, B, secured to theboiler at some distance above the bottom of the latter and extendingabove the top of the boiler, thereby forming an annular space, a. Theouter casing or wall is provided with guideways b b, whose functionswill be hereinafter described.

C represents a supportingframe consisting of uprights c c, secured attheir lower ends in bearings c c of the casing B, and connected at theirtop ends by a horizontal bar, D. This bar D is recessed at one side, d,and at each side of said recess is provided with staples E E and a pin,c.

The cover F is formed of a top piece, f, provided with an annulardepending flange, G, said top piece being formed with an opening at itscenter and provided on its under side with a valveseat, H, and anydesired number of clothes-pounders, l. The opposite ends of the boilerare provided with guides h 7L, which register with the guideways b b.

The valve-standard K is composed of three sections, L L L. The section Lis of hollow cylindrical form and hinged tothe top piece,f, at one sideof the opening g. The section L is also of hollow cylindrical form, andprovided at its lower end with a plug, lr, to which is loosely attachedthe valve M. rlhe section L is also provided internally with aspring-latch, m, which projects through aslot, N. The spring-latch m istapered toward its upper end, and is riveted to the section L. Thistapering gives it the qualities of a spring, so that its lower end willproject through the slot N. Near the upper end of the section L isarranged a crosspin, a, projecting beyond its sides to form lugs n n',said lugs working in slots o 0 of the section L to limit the mo tion ofthe section L. The portion of the spring-latch m which projects throughthe slot N is made in the form of a catch having an inclined and ahorizontal portion. The horizontal surface is adapted to bear upon theupper end of the section'L and hold the valve M in place, while theinclined surfaceis adapted to bear against the lower edge of the sectionL and gradually press the said hori` zontal surface out of engagementwith the up` per end of the section L. The section L is also of hollowcylindrical form, and is provided internally with a coiled spring, Z,which presses on the top of the section L to keep it down. The section Lis also provided with slots o o, hcreinbefore mentioned.

A rib or iin, O, having a series of holes, 0, is attached to one side ofthe section L, and said rib, in connection with the Staples E E and pine of the horizontal bar D, makes the valve-standard adjustable.

The space a, to prevent the escape of steam, is kept lled with waterfrom a tank or any other suitable device.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The clothes and water areplaced in the boiler. The cover is then placed in position and thevalve-standard adjusted. The machine is then placed uponastoveor otherheating apparatus, and as the steam is generated it presses the coverupwardly, and by so doing the inclined portion of the spring-latch m ispressed IOO against the lower end of the section L, and this movementpresses the horizontal portion of the said spring-latch inwardly, and assoon as said horizontal portion is pressed far enough to free it fromthe top edge of the section LI thevsection L will descend and will carrythe valve M with it, thus allowing the steam to escape and the cover tofall by its own weight, and the coiled spring Z forces the section Ldownwardly to strike the spring-latch and close the valve, and thus theoperation is con. tinued automatically, the water-supply'being pmaintained by a slow feed from the tank to the cold-water space, theoverflow from which empties into the boiler.

Having fully described myinvention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent,is

-1. The combination, with a doublewalled boiler having an annularcold-water space, of a cover provided with pounders and an annulardepending flange, and a valve operated by steam for raising and loweringsaid cover, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a double-walled boiler having aclothes-receptacle and an annular cold-water space, of a cover providedwith pounders and an annular depending iiange, and a valve andvalve-standard, said valve-standardl provided with a spring-latch tooperate the' valve, substantially as described.

tion, with the boiler and supporting-frame, of.

a valve-standard having a hinged connection with the cover or top of theboiler, said valvestandard being provided with a spring-latch and acoiled spring, substantially as described. 5. The combination, with theboiler and supporting-frame and with the boiler-cover, of a valve and avalve-standard, the latter having an adjustable connection with theframe, substantially as described. y

6. The combination, w'ith the boiler, of an annular water-space, a coverhaving a depending flange to enter said water-Space, the valve, and theV4three-part standard provided with a spring-latch and a coiled spring,substantially as described.

In testimonywhereofrhavesignedthisspecification in thepresence ot' twosubscribing Witnesses.

REED R. Davis.

Witnessesi D. S. Rosa,

F. XV. BACH.

